Quilting at the Cottage
Trunk Show & Lecture

About Our Featured Quilter – Doug Leko

Doug Leko’s story is unique in the quilting industry. He founded Antler Quilt Design in 2008, when he was just fourteen. He’d been quilting since the age of six, and working in his mother’s quilt shop over the years helped him develop his skills and refine his art. After pattern testing for various designers, he began to develop his own quilt designs. Doug took off from there, launching a full-scale design and marketing operation while he was still in high school.

Since then, his reputation has grown along with his business. He has a vibrant and growing collection of patterns available at quilt stores around the U.S. and Canada. New releases each year coincide with the timing of Quilt Market. With every new release, he signs and numbers the first 24 patterns, and those are intermixed randomly as orders are filled – so keep your eye out!

Doug takes a distinctive approach to his quilt designs. He enjoys incorporating secondary design elements, and he’s absolutely passionate about color. For Doug, there’s nothing like pulling together just the right mix of coordinating fabrics for a project. He loves every aspect of the quilting process, from design to fabric selection to handwork to binding.

His work has been featured in prominent publications such as McCall’s Quilting, Quiltmaker, and in American Patchwork & Quilting. When he’s not busy developing new designs or showing at Quilt Market, he divides his time
between pursuing a marketing degree and teaching/speaking at quilt shops and other quilting events.

Sharing with other quilters is what Doug likes best about his business. He always wants to know what people are working on, and he’s known as much for his outgoing nature and storytelling as for his unique passion about quilting.